Spaceships (Star Frontiers)
Spaceships are vehicles designed for travel through the void of space. Coloculy in the United Planetary Federation the term Starship is used for spaceships capable of traveling between stars though on worlds both in and outside the UPF the term Starship has been applied to vehicles designed to operate with in a star system. Due to the lack of consensus regarding the term Starship this article refers to them all by the broad term of spaceship. Spaceships come in many different sizes and have various classifications and purposes. In game mechanics treat Spaceships as mobile installations with combat between starships targeting different parts of the vessel and potentially damaging the compartments of that region. Spaceships are very expensive vessels and thus most are owned by governments or major corporations with ownership by private individuals being uncommon but not unheard of. Spaceships of great size are incapable of safely entering a planet's atmosphere and require individuals to be shuttled to and from them. Most spaceships are not designed to enter a planet's atmosphere due to the costs that would come from escaping a planet's gravitational pull and re-installing the ship's thermal shielding. Such would also take months due to the great size of such ships as each part of the exterior would have to be examined for weakpoints or completely replaced to ensure safety. For a catelogue of all notable spaceships in game, please see Catalogue of Spaceships Designing Spaceships When designing a spaceship one has to consider quite a few factors. A good place to start is to determine the ship's purpose, the species that designed it, and if it's capable of FTL. FTL travel (the ability to travel between star systems in a matter of days) requires an FTL Drive Core be present on the ship. All spaceships save those with automated controls require a bridge and engines for propulsion. Components such as sensor arrays and engines along with gunnery stations and machines shops increase the size of a ship and thus it's cost. Classifications *Amenities Ship - Amenities Ship is a type recognized in some star navies and space forces. They are typically refurbished military vessels outfitted with recreational facilities that serve as an alternative to shore leave in remote postings that lack recreational venues. These ships tend to travel between such postings serving those present for a time before setting course for the next posting. The typical recreational facilities found on these ships are theaters and canteens. Some even have onboard breweries and hydroponics for the cultivation of hops. *Battlecarrier *Battleship *Carrier *Corvette *Cruiser *Cryogenic Transport *Destroyer *Freighter *Frigate *Hospital Ship *Mining Ship *Passenger Ship - These spaceships consist largely of Passenger Seating or Quarters and no dedicated entertainment stations; they typically include some intranset visual entertainment and more often then not resemble something between a motel and train or supersonic transport. They are most often in system ships that lack FTL capabilities as travel between star systems takes days rather then hours to complete. Those that do travel between star systems are seen as the layman's alternative to Starliners. *Stasis Transport - Stasis Transports are functionally akin to the Cryogenic Transport but are more clinical and less risky to the passengers. Passengers are put into a Stasis Field by medics instead of frozen and laid to rest upon medical slabs or cushioned 'sleep' pods. Stasis Transports are more costly to travel in compared to a Cryogenic Transport as a team of medics rather then medics and technicians are required to manage the sleepers. *Starliner - Starliners are next to military spaceships the largest vessels traversing the stars. They largely consist of Passenger Quarters and entertainment areas such as ball rooms or zero-gravity sports centers. They all have an FTL Drive Core allowing them to travel between star systems. Combat Combat between Spaceships is a matter of hitting vital components with familiarity regarding the enemy's structure being key to bringing the vessel down. Key areas are the Bridge, Computer Cores, the FTL Drive, Engine Room, Generator Room, Life Support, Power, and Gunnery Stations. Hitting the Engine Room or FTL Drive Core can have cataclysmic effect. The FTL if damaged to a certain point can unleash a 'Breach Effect' causing an impulsion followed by an explosion sending fragments to surrounding stations. The Engine Room, if the ship is propelled by chemical thrusters, may see the fuel ignite. Computer Cores will, if a system has been automated, cause that system to cease functioning- this could be internal security measures (locking all doors if they require electrical interface to access, or causing all internal turrets to cease functioning making the vessel easier to capture through boarding) or even gunnery it's self though the most often effected systems are Machine Shops and Life Support. When engaging in combat between two vessels one has to declare if they are aiming at the stern, bow, port, etc of the ship with one's options being determined by weapon placement and position in relation to the enemy.Category:Star Frontiers